Learn The Academy Playbook: Pick & Roll

At FSBA we believe we should incorporate basketball skills through incorporating playbook knowledge, this a crucial time to develop ATHLETES. 

‍‍‍We run tons of drills and games that incorporate all sorts of dynamic movements that help children become better all-around athletes for the future. 「Pick & Rolls」 happen constantly in basketball games of all levels! By understanding these Pick & Roll options, you will be more of a threat. Keep on eye out during the next NBA game you watch to see if you notice teams utilizing 「Pick & Rolls」 and see if you can go out and execute one with you team mate on the court!‍‍‍

The 「Pick & Roll」 in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket to receive a pass. In the NBA, the play came into vogue in the 1990s and has developed into the league's most common offensive action. An offensive player sets a screen for another offensive player who currently has the ball. This is also known as a ball screen. (The Pick). The offensive player dribbles around the ball screen and looks to score. The screener, opens up to the ball, and cuts to the basket. (The Roll). 

The 「Pick & Roll」 can be executed almost anywhere on the floor. There are countless ways to score using the 「Pick & Roll」. Ideally, you want to be able finish at the rim, make good decisions, have the ability to blow by defenders, and pull up for the jump shot off the dribble. Today we are going to focus on Three different options using examples from Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic. 

As a ball handler your first option coming off the pick is roll is to drive to the basket and score. By being aggressive of the pick you will keep the defense honest and it will open up more passing at opportunities as the game progresses, because the defense must respect that fact that you are looking to score. 

In this clip we see the spurs are playing a drop coverage (A drop coverage is when the man guarding the ball fights over the screen and the man guarding the screener waits in the paint to protect the basket.) The goal of this defense is to force the ball handler to shoot a tough mid range pull up. As Luka comes of the screen he reads the drop coverage and sees that Aldridge is out of position and has come up too high and has allow the left side of the paint to be wide open. Luka Takes advantage of this and drives in for the easy lay up.

When the defense knows you are looking to score they will begin to focus on you more as you come of the pick and roll. This is what opens up the next facet of the pick and roll, Finding the 「Roll Man」. In this next clip we see another drop coverage from the Milwaukee bucks. However this time as Luka comes of the screen the bucks do a good job of taking away the three and shutting down the lane. But Luka recognizes instantly he is closely covered and knows this means his teammate is open. Luka finds him with the gorgeous between the legs pass for the dunk.

The final option we will cover today when using the pick and roll is pulling up for the jump shot. This may sound and look simple. However, if you can execute this skill effectively it will make it nearly impossible for defenders to guard you in the pick and roll. In this clip the Luka is bringing the ball down court in semi-transition (Semi transition is when the defense has most of their defenders back but is not completely set). As Luka comes off the screen his defender tries to underneath the screen to prevent the drive, Luka recognizes this and pulls up for the uncontested three.